Internal-combustion motor with pistons symmetrically arranged about cams on the drive shaft



Oct. 12, 1948. J. B. PUTNAM 2,450,912

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION MOTOR WITH PISTONS SYMMETRICALLY ARRANGED ABOUT CAMS ON THE DRIVE SHAFT Fi1ed May 5, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1948. J. a. PUTNAM 2,450,912

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION MOTOR WITH PISTONS SYMMETRICALLY ARRANGED ABOUT CAMS ON THE DRIVE SHAFT Filed May 5, 1944 2'Sheets--Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 12, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE INTERNAL-COMBUSTION MOTOR WITH PISTONS SYMMETRICALLY ARRANGED ABOUT CAMS ON THE DRIVE SHAFT James Boyd Putnam, El Campo, Tex. Application May 5, 1944, Serial No. 534,298

2 Claims.

This invention relates to an internal combustion motor.

An object of the invention is to provide an internal combustion motor of the opposed piston type wherein the crank shaft and connecting rods are eliminated.

A further object of the invention is to provide an internal combustion motor wherein the power takeoff shaft is driven by the pistons through a cooperating cam and roller assembly.

With the above and other objects in view the invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts, an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein: V

Figure 1 shows a horizontal sectional view of the motor.

Figure 2 shows a vertical sectional View taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 3, and

Figure 3 shows a transverse vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawings wherein like numerals of reference designate the same parts in each of the figures, the numeral l designates the camhousing, on each side of which are the cylinder blocks 2, 2 having the cylinder heads 3, 3 thereon equipped with the necessary spark plugs 4, 4.

The motor is provided with the usual valves 5 for controlling the fuel intake and scavenging operations but these are conventional and form no part of the present invention.

In the blocks 2 are the opposed cylinders 6, 6. Two pairs of cylinders are shown although a greater number of pairs may be used if desired.

For each pair of opposed cylinders there is an 7 operating unit which consists of a pair of pistons i, 1 connected by two bars 8, 8. The ends of these bars are countersunk into opposite sides of the pistons as more clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2 and are securely bolted thereto by the bolts 9 as shown in Figure 2.

The bars are straight and are provided with oblong slots 19, H) as more clearly shown in Figure 1.

There is a power takeoff shaft ll extended transversely through the housing I and mounted to rotate in suitable bearings provided for it as shown in Figures 1 and 3. This shaft extends through the slots ll! of the bars 8.

Fixed on the shaft H are the cams it, one for each operating unit.

Between the bars 8, on opposite sides of each cam, are the bearing units l3, each having an outside race ring M which bears against the correspondin cam. These bearing units are mounted on the cross rods 15 whose ends are journaled in the corresponding bars 8.

I Number The pistonsof the respective operating units will be prevented from turning by reason of the fact that the shaft II fits snugly through the 2 slots it of the bars 8 as well as by the cams 12 which fit between said bars.

The cams are so shaped that they will remain in constant contact with the race rings M as clearly shown in Figur 2.

The cams are arranged on the shaft in firing order as shown in Figure 1.

The drawings and description are illustrative merely while the broad principle of the invention will be defined by the, appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In an internal combustion motor a piston assembly comprising a pair of opposed pistons spaced apart, a pair of bars which are spaced apart and whose ends are countersunk into the facing ends of the pistons on opposite sides and are secured to said pistons, the outer sides of said ends of said bars conforming, in external contour, to the cylindrical contour of the pistons, said bars being provided with oblong slots which are in alignment, rotatable bearing units mounted on the bars to rotate between the bars and spaced inwardly of the ends of said pistons and being spaced apart and a power takeoff cam mounted between the bars and shaped to constantly Contact the rotatable bearing units during the rotation of the cam.

2. In an internal combustion motor a piston assembly comprising a pair of opposed pistons spaced apart, a pair of bars which are spaced apart and whose ends are countersunk into the facing ends of the pistons on opposite sides and are secured, and form a part of, said pistons so as to fit closely into the corresponding cylinders, the outer sides of said ends of said bars conforming, in external contour, to the cylindrical contour of the pistons, said bars being provided with oblong slots which are in alignment, rotatable bearing units carried by and mounted between the bars inwardly of the ends of said pistons and being spaced apart, a power takeoff cam mounted between the bars and shaped to constantly contact the bearing units during the rotation of the cam and a shaft extended through the slots on which the cam is fixed.

JAMES BOYD PUTNAM.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Philippe July 11, 1916 King June 17, 1930 Barnum Feb. 10, 1931 Bleser May 23, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS Country I Date Germany May 22, 1929 Number 

